Michael Stanley Simons News Today

A career-best turn from Zac Efron, plus a tide of true-life triumph and tragedy, power director Sean Durkin’s bone-crunching drama

Sean Durkin’s elegant portrait of the Von Erich wrestling family shows how hard-driven masculine legacy can both enrich and devastate a family.

The Iron Claw explores the depths of professional wrestling’s greatest tragedy.

Content Warning: this story contains mentions of gun violence and mentions of suicide.  Additional Warning: this review contains spoilers.  Prog-rock, tiny spandex shorts and micro-bangs merge to create A24’s late 2023 tearjerker: “The Iron Claw.” Released last December, director Sean Durkin’s third feature-length film follows the infamously ill-fated Dallas-based super-athlete Von Erich family.  The film...

“The Iron Claw” highlights the power of community through laughter and tragedy. Despite fixed character relationships, this tear-jerker depicts a joyful family that faces a tragic ending.Written and directed by Sean Durkins, “The Iron Claw” shows the rise and fall of the Von Erich wrestling family. Kevin Von Erich (Zac Efron) fuels his father’s (Holt

A father pushes his sons to extremes in Sean Durkin's film about the Von Erich wrestling dynasty, starring Zac Efron. It's full of tragedy – but is 'disappointing'.